Obverse. Photo © Royal Canadian Mint
  • 1 Dollar 2021, Canada, Elizabeth II, 125th Anniversary of the Klondike Gold Rush
  • 1 Dollar 2021, Canada, Elizabeth II, 125th Anniversary of the Klondike Gold Rush
Description

The Klondike Gold Rush was a migration by an estimated 100,000 prospectors to the Klondike region of Yukon, in north-western Canada, between 1896 and 1899. Gold was discovered there by local miners on August 16, 1896; when news reached Seattle and San Francisco the following year, it triggered a stampede of prospectors. Some became wealthy, but the majority went in vain. It has been immortalized in films, literature, and photographs.

To accommodate the prospectors, boom towns sprang up along the routes. At their terminus, Dawson City was founded at the confluence of the Klondike and Yukon rivers. From a population of 500 in 1896, the town grew to house approximately 30,000 people by summer 1898. Built of wood, isolated, and unsanitary, Dawson suffered from fires, high prices, and epidemics. Despite this, the wealthiest prospectors spent extravagantly, gambling and drinking in the saloons.

In the summer of 1899, gold was discovered around Nome in west Alaska, and many prospectors left the Klondike for the new goldfields, marking the end of the Klondike Rush. The boom towns declined, and the population of Dawson City fell. Gold mining production in the Klondike peaked in 1903 after heavier equipment was brought in. Since then, the Klondike has been mined on and off, and today the legacy draws tourists to the region and contributes to its prosperity.

Obverse

Fourth portrait of HM Queen Elizabeth II, when she was 77 years old, facing right and surrounded by the inscription. Date below.

Dei Gratia Regina (often abbreviated to D. G. Regina and seen as D·G·REGINA) is a Latin title meaning By the Grace of God, Queen.

Engraver: Susanna Blunt

ELIZABETH II D·G·REGINA
SB
DOLLAR

Reverse

Depicts the gold discovery that set off the Klondike Gold Rush. Under the shining sun, Keish (“Skookum” Jim Mason), Shaaw Tlàa (Kate Carmack), Kàa Goox (Dawson Charlie) and George Carmack can be seen panning for gold at the edge of Gàh Dek (Rabbit Creek/Bonanza Creek). A powerful symbol of cultural revitalization, the pictorial symbol for Ëdhä Dädhëchą (Moosehide Slide) appears on the opposite side of the creek and represents the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in and their deep, abiding connection to the land.

125 years ago, Keish (“Skookum Jim” Mason), his nephew Kàa Goox (Dawson Charlie), his sister Shaaw Tláa (Kate Carmack) – all of whom were of Lingít and Tagish descent – and Shaaw Tláa's American husband George Carmack discovered gold in Gàh Dek (Rabbit Creek/Bonanza Creek). Their discovery started what some now call “The Last Great Gold Rush.”

Although there are conflicting accounts, the story goes that they were taking a break next to Rabbit Creek (Bonanza Creek), when Keish saw a glimmer of gold through the water. He shared his discovery with the group and they quickly staked their claims. The news of gold spread fast to other mining camps in the Yukon River valley. Some of these prospectors later became known as “Klondike Kings”, claiming much of the gold before knowledge of the discovery reached the south.

Engraver: Jori van der Linde (JV)

CANADA
JV
1896 KLONDIKE 2021

Edge
Characteristics
Type Commemorative Issue (Circulating)
Material Brass Plated Steel
Weight 6.27 g
Diameter 26.5 mm
Thickness 1.95 mm
Shape polygon
Sides 11
Alignment Medal
Mint
Royal Canadian Mint (Maple Leaf)

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4th portrait, Loonie

125th Anniversary of the Klondike Gold Rush

Brass Plated Steel, 6.27 g, ⌀ 26.5 mm